Lights
by applestooapples
Summary: At what point in life do you come to rely upon someone so much that they become a part of you? That without them, you'd just fade into the background? And wouldn't that be a shame, because that's the only thing about Akari that's unique. Rated T just to be safe.
1. Prelude

**Lights**

**Prelude: Shimmer**

_At what point in life do you come to rely upon someone so much that they become a part of you? That without them, you'd just fade into the background? And wouldn't that be a shame, because that's the only thing about Akari that's unique._

* * *

"_I've had enough."_

"_Don't you know it's your job to help me with my homework?!"_

"_When I see you with her, I want to hit you!"_

* * *

The desperate, broken words buzzed through her mind like a cassette on replay—a cliché love song that you just can't get out of your head.

That—the incident—had been months ago, now, and with no hint of a repeat performance. But still…there were a few (less than a dozen, at any rate—or at least, that was all she'd allow herself to admit to) times that Furutani Himawari would glance over at her best…frienemy(?) and wonder the same thing, over and over again. Always the same memory, always the same question.

_Why?_

Himawari knew that Sakurako enjoyed her company more than she let on—she herself was the exact same way. But the extent to which it had bothered the walnut-haired girl was something the bluenette could never have predicted, which led her to dealing with the whole thing in a rather dismissive manner, instead of probing further.

_It's not as if you would have known given time to think. After all, here we are, months later and you still have no response._

Himawari shook the voice out of her head—it reminded her of those obnoxious people, the ones who knew everything and made sure everyone else knew it, too.

Like Sakurako.

The bluenette rolled her eyes—Sakurako liked to think she was always right, and was, accordingly, always (_always_) vocal about it. The difference, of course, being that Sakurako was rarely, if ever, _actually _correct about whatever she was saying. It was one of her qualities that Himawari found utterly adorable—which, of course, led to it being one of her qualities that the taller girl absolutely couldn't stand.

And she couldn't even remember when they started fighting all the time, or why. They used to be inseparable, attached at the hip—Himawari thought back to just a few days before, when Sakurako had gotten them 'lost' behind the school. The shorter girl had fallen asleep against her shoulder, and it had been such a strange, yet achingly familiar feeling. Except Himawari didn't remember her heart skipping a beat back when Sakurako clung to her when they were children, nor could she remember the ache in the pit of her stomach that she couldn't quite label.

And come to think of it, Sakurako had always been selfish with Himawari, too. She couldn't believe it had taken her so long to catch on…except that Sakurako hadn't thrown a tantrum like that since they stopped being friends and started being rivals.

Himawari _certainly _didn't remember a breath catching in her throat back when Sakurako would get jealous of just about anyone else the bluenette spoke to.

But then, it had been so long since they'd spent any real time with anyone but each other, or, if they weren't alone, they were always together, at least.

It was just a headache, really, and Himawari forced her thoughts to the back of her mind, where they'd wait like a thousand-piece puzzle, because Sakurako was due any minute, (if instinct served her right) and that was enough of a headache in itself.

As if on cue, the doorbell began to ring incessantly. Himawari rolled her eyes and took her sweet time making her way towards the door. When she finally opened it, she was greeted by an overeager Sakurako crashing into her—something that seemed a bit too familiar—and nearly sending them both plummeting to the floor.

There was a split second in which Himawari reveled in the feeling of the smaller girl in her arms, and then she bristled. "Is this how you always enter someone else's home?" she asked heatedly. "You really haven't changed a bit since we were children.

Sakurako, still in Himawari's arms, proclaimed shamelessly, "Nope, just yours!"

A vein in the bluenette's neck pricked, and without warning, she let go of the other girl, sending her crashing to the ground.

"Booby monster!"

"Am I to assume this means you don't want any help with your homework?" Himawari asked nonchalantly, barely concealing a blush when Sakurako scrambled to her feet and threw her arms around the taller girl's neck.

"You're my servant, you don't have a choice!"

And just like that, Sakurako was back on the floor, this time with an unmistakable bump right on the back of her head.

Himawari huffed—to think she'd just spent so long trying decipher the reasons behind this same girl's actions. Sakurako didn't even try to decipher _herself_—she just did whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted to. If she didn't say it out loud, she didn't feel it. She was the epitome of an open-book.

So why was that familiar ache still resting in the pit of her stomach?

_Why?_

* * *

**A/N: What do you think? Please leave a review, any of you guys who are writers will know it's what motivates us to continue. Also, this is my first Yuru Yuri fanfiction, even though I've been writing fanfiction (on a different account) for years now, so I'd like to know how I'm doing and if I should continue. Hope you enjoyed!**


	2. Scene One

**Lights**

**Scene One: Spark  
**

* * *

"I'm bored."

It was more a demand than a statement, and Himawari raised an eyebrow at Sakurako, who was sprawled across the floor of her bedroom. "And what do you expect me to do about it?" she replied, though she already knew the answer to that question.

"Entertain me!" the shorter girl exclaimed, punctuating the words by throwing a pillow at Himawari. The bluenette easily caught the pillow, a vein popping on her head, before hurling it back at the shorter girl, smacking her right in the face. "Booby monster!" Sakurako cried, sitting up and glaring (menacingly?) at Himawari.

Another vein popped. "You threw it in the first place," the bluenette replied, logical as ever, despite her obvious annoyance. "You should treat people the way you want them to treat you."

Sakurako huffed, flopping back down on the floor. "Himawari's no fun," she mumbled under her breath.

The taller girl bristled. "If I'm no fun, why do you keep showing up at my house whenever you're bored?" she shot back.

"I don't knowww~," Sakurako whined, kicking her feet against the floor like a child. Then, suddenly, she sat up, her eyes immediately brightening, and Himawari marveled at the girl's ability to shift moods entirely over one single thought. It was…almost… "I'll go hang out with Toshino-senpai, she's way more fun than you! Nyeeh!"

_Infuriating! _

As Himawari silently fumed, Sakurako punctuated her statement by sticking her tongue out at the bluenette like a kindergartener before attempting to jump from the floor to her feet in one move. She failed. Whimpering and rubbing her sore backside, she staggered to her feet, her face a sickly shade of blue, and stumbled across the room to pick up her things.

The bluenette watched her, letting her get all the way to the door before absentmindedly commenting, "Didn't you get assigned extra homework again this week?"

"So?" Sakurako replied, obviously still in pain, due to the stubborn tear threatening to fall down her cheek.

Himawari raised one eyebrow. "So…you're going to spend the day at Toshino-senpai's house, when this is the last day you have to complete your homework?" She paused—Sakurako still looked confused. She rolled her eyes-she'd have to spell it out for her stubborn frienemy. "And you have witnessed Toshino-senpai's methods of studying, correct?"

The walnut-haired girl nodded, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, before she caught the smug look Himawari was wearing and wilted on the spot, slowly sliding down the door face-first until she hit the floor, her head pressed against the wood. "I'm sure Kyouko-senpai will be an excellent tutor," she replied lifelessly. Himawari rolled her eyes—the girl was _still _too stubborn to admit she needed the bluenette's help to get her homework done on time.

"Get up already," Himawari huffed once she reached the door, giving the shorter girl a swift kick to her side. Sakurako instantly jumped to her feet, aiming to kick the taller girl right back, but the bluenette easily evaded the predictable retaliation. The shorter girl settled for stomping on the textbook that lay on the floor.

"Take _that_, you booby monster!"

"That was _your_ textbook, Sakurako."

* * *

**Three Hours (two and a half of which were spent pulling at each other's faces and arguing over Sakurako's laziness and Himawari's chest) Later…**

* * *

Himawari heaved a spectacular sigh, allowing herself to fall into a sitting position on her bed, only to be hurled off balance when Sakurako literally threw herself, face-first, onto the bed.

"_Belly-flop_!"

Himawari dealt her a swift pop to the head, which caused Sakurako to cry out in pain, but both girls were too exhausted to start another fight. They lay side by side, Himawari trying to let the stress roll off of her while Sakurako lay spread-eagled on the bed, one arm thrust shamelessly over the bluenette's chest. The shorter girl's eyes were closed out of the exhaustion of studying, but Himawari could tell the girl was awake.

"Hey, Himawari."

The girl in question turned her head slightly in the direction of the smaller girl. "What?"

"I'm sleeping over tonight."

A vein popped in Himawari's head. "Don't invite yourself to stay the night at other people's houses," she chastised. "And for that matter, don't just show up whenever you feel like it."

"Yeah, yeah," Sakurako replied with a feeble wave of her hand. "So I'm gonna need something to sleep in." Suddenly she sat up, staring directly at Himawari's chest, making the taller girl blush and fold her arms around herself protectively. The light brunette made a face, falling back down onto her back. "All of your stuff is going to be way too big for me," she stated bluntly.

Himawari growled. "Then why _don't _you go over to Toshino-senpai's house? I'm sure _her _clothes would fit you fine."

It was meant to be an insult, but Sakurako shot up once again. "You're right!" she exclaimed. "I only needed you for my homework anyway—now that's done, I can go hang out with someone fun!" The worst part of it all was the tone in her voice—it wasn't as if she were trying to insult Himawari at all—she was simply spouting out the first thing that came to mind.

"Don't talk about people like that!" the bluenette snapped, a sick ache that she couldn't place swirling around in her chest all of the sudden. "I don't exist just to tutor you because you're too lazy to pay attention in class!"

Sakurako huffed. "Then why do you?"

"What?" Himawari furrowed her eyebrows, confused.

"I mean, why do you hang out with me if that's all you think you are to me?" the shorter girl replied in a very uncharacteristic tone—it was as if Sakurako were actually taking an argument (or anything) _seriously_ for once. Himawari was instantly thrown off-guard.

"Well, I- Because…" The taller girl stuttered for a moment, her face heating up as Sakurako stared up at her defiantly. "Because if I didn't, you'd be completely hopeless," she finally stated, rather lamely. "You would have been held back by now if I didn't."

"That's not what I asked," Sakurako grumbled, and Himawari was once again taken aback. It wasn't like Sakurako at all to be so focused and perceptive.

"I…" Himawari cursed herself for blathering like a boyfriend stuck in the doghouse—_wait, what_? "Why do you hang out with _me_ when I'm not helping you with your homework?" she deflected, praying Sakurako would take the bait.

All at once, it was as if the walnut-haired girl had never changed. "Because if I didn't keep you around all the time, someone else would steal you to tutor _them_, and I'd fail all my classes," she stated bluntly, with a firm nod of the head. Himawari was just readying up to hit the girl again, when she added, "Like that time with Chinatsu-chan," here, she made a face, her mood suddenly shifting, "wanting your help to make that scarf, and you didn't have any time for me at all." She punctuated her statement by folding her arms over her chest, pouting, and suddenly it was as if the incident were fresh again, like nothing had been mended.

Himawari blinked several times—it was just like that day in the classroom, only back then, she had an excuse not to give a proper reply, due to class starting. "Sakurako…"

"I'm leaving," the shorter girl mumbled, as if all the energy had been drained from her seemingly endless supply. She turned away from a dumbfounded Himawari and walked over to the door, letting herself out of the house. The bluenette was still in a state of shock when she heard her mother asking Sakurako if she was okay, before the front door shut.

Finally, she turned back to her room, and suddenly realized that Sakurako had left all her things behind.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, and please keep continuing to do, or, if you haven't, please do! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know it's a bit short but I felt like this particular chapter should stop as it is.**


	3. Scene Two

**Lights**

**Scene Two: Garden Snakes, Limes, and Jealousy (What is the Color Green?)**

* * *

So, the play had ended in one huge explosive disaster. Literally. But, then again, they should've expected it by this point in time. What was different about this particular disaster was that Chinatsu's handiwork had successfully scarred the entire cast and audience. And (nearly) killed Akari.

Several hours later, the usual gang was gathered in Yui's apartment, thankfully unharmed by the Chinatsu-spider-robot…thing. Kyouko was currently in the kitchen area, raiding the freezer for Rum Raisin ice cream, Sakurako was off in another room doing…something...that apparently involved a fair amount of crashing and thudding, and the rest of the group were scattered around the living room in various positions of relaxation.

And as for the sudden anger she had felt blooming in her chest like water boiling over in a too-full saucepan…Himawari wasn't naïve enough to pretend she didn't know what the feeling was.

She was, however, stubborn enough to deny it to herself, which, one might reason, had just about the same overall effect.

It was a bit harder, however, to deny the sudden and stomach-wrenching urge to hold—to be _near_ Sakurako, that is. Of course, this would be a hard enough feeling for anyone to deal with, without adding Sakurako into the equation. When one did, however…it would be physically impossible for Himawari to attach herself to the light-brunette (who spent half her time bouncing off the walls and the other half fighting tooth and nail with her) without giving a very detailed explanation…one that would be exceedingly hard to dodge her way through.

And why was she so upset, anyway? She was neutral to Kyouko as a whole…maybe her loyalty to her vice president had caused her anger? Stupid Sakurako was always forgetting her place like that…

But then again, there was the urge to hit Kyouko, (something a person like Himawari would never dream of under most circumstances) and with that, all of Himawari's flimsy explanations flew right out the window. Flimsy because it was all just denial, made even flimsier by the fact that Himawari was well aware of that fact. It must be easier for someone as clueless and easily distracted as Sakurako. The bluenette huffed. It wasn't fair at all, really.

Another thing that's interesting is how suddenly one's insides can twist themselves into knots, untwist themselves, and retwist in an entirely new kind of bow all in an instant. And all because of three words Toshino Kyouko yelled at the top of her lungs.

* * *

"Truth or dare!"

Kyouko was grinning brilliantly, eyes as clueless as ever, one hand wrapped around a freshly opened pint of Rum Raisin.

"No," Yui stated firmly. Ayano seemed to be in agreement with Yui, whereas Chinatsu looked conflicted, a literal Othello—on the one hand, she was terrified of having Kyouko (inevitably) dare her to do something dirty, but on the other hand…she could dare Yui to do something dirty with her. She assumed a crooked, slightly perverted smile that was, at the same time, counteracted by her shaking at the possibility at having to do said 'dirty things' with Kyouko instead.

It was all very awkward to watch, really.

Somehow, five minutes later, Kyouko had (surprise, surprise) managed to get the majority of the girls on board, overpowering her wary best friend by more than half.

Chinatsu was sitting on a lone armchair, arms folded over her chest, every so-often glancing out of the corner of her eye at Yui, who she'd decided to punish with the silent treatment for kissing Kyouko. Of course, that could change if a certain dare were to come up…Ayano was sitting on the floor at Chitose's feet, directly across from TOSHINO KYOUKO, and was becoming progressively redder as the blonde resorted to more inventive ways of eating her ice cream. Himawari had somehow managed to reign a panting Sakurako in from Yui's room, where she'd been jumping on the older girl's bed, apparently counting the dots on the ceiling, which, in her opinion, was much more interesting than talking to Himawari. She was also sporting a rather large welt on the back of her head.

Oh, yeah, and Akari.

"I'll go first," Kyouko stated, bending backwards and grabbing an empty soda bottle that she'd left on the floor earlier. Her shirt rode up slightly, displaying her tense belly, and Ayano turned a magnificent shade of fushia that would put a Weasley to shame. Sitting back up, she gave the bottle a good spin. The bottle proceeded to shoot directly into Akari's forehead before bouncing off with the neck facing Chinatsu. The pinkette's face took on a dark blue hue, but she didn't give any other reaction. It was inevitable, after all.

"Hmmm….what shall I have my China-chu do~?"

Chinatsu flushed in anger, finally returning to her fiery self. "You have to ask me truth or dare first, Kyouko-senpai!"

Kyouko pouted, but complied. "Alright, alright—truth or dare?"

"Truth," Chinatsu replied smugly, arms folded over her chest. Kyouko narrowed her eyes at the girl.

"No fair…" the blonde muttered. A second later, however, she perked up. "Okay, truth—did you hold my hand on our _date_?"

The question elicited several raised eyebrows, but as for Chinatsu, she flushed an even darker shade of red. "I-I don't know what you're talking about," she finally stuttered, refusing to meet Kyouko's eyes.

"Penalty for lying on a truth is a kiss to the person of the question-asker's choice, Chinatsu-chaaan~" Kyouko sang. Chinatsu opened her mouth to protest, but Yui shook her head, stopping the pinkette in her tracks.

"Kyouko's right, there need to be penalties if we're going to play this game," she said—if she had to play, she was going to play it _right_. "I guess Kyouko's penalty isn't too bad…but we've got to figure out the penalty for backing out of a dare."

"Ten minutes alone in a room with Chitose and a box of chocolates?" Kyouko volunteered. Instead of being offended, the girl in question just giggled dreamily, causing all eyes to settle warily on her. Kyouko nodded. "It's decided, then. A kiss for a lie, and lockdown with chocolate and Chitose for wimping out."

Chinatsu huffed, but wasn't about to argue with Yui's decision. "Fine," she muttered. "Yes, I held your hand, but I said it was only for the day, and only because you made me."

Kyouko pouted. "I asked you," she corrected. "You held my hand of your own free will. You know you love me, Chinatsu-chaaan, stop denying our love," the blonde declared, arms outstretched. Chinatsu cringed, only to sit back up when Yui dealt her a blow to the head.

"Your turn, Chinatsu-chan," the latter said, nodding towards the bottle.

The pinkette spun the bottle (more gently) and after going around the circle a few times, it landed on Sakurako. The brunette jumped to attention, slamming Himawari's jaw on the way up, due to the position they'd been sitting in. Realizing exactly what that position had been, the taller girl turned crimson.

"Dare!" Sakurako shouted, punching the air as if to drive the point home. Himawari rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the tiny smile that slipped through her barriers.

Chinatsu furrowed her brow in thought. She didn't know much about the small brunette, except… "I dare you to tell me why you got so upset when Himawari-san was helping me with the scarf I made for Yui-senpai."

Yui paled at the mention of said scarf, while Sakurako flushed uncharacteristically, and distanced herself slightly from her frienemy. "That's not a dare," she complained, for lack of a better way out.

"I said I dared you to tell me, right?" Chinatsu asked, cocking her head to the side. "But if you want…I dare you to tell the whole room why you got so upset about it."

That was most certainly a dare, and Sakurako sulked, her arms folded over her chest, and refused to meet Himawari's eyes. After a long silence, she finally answered, "Because it's her job to tutor me, and she didn't spend any time with me for weeks because of that scarf."

"I don't think that's the only reason," Chitose remarked absentmindedly, which caused the younger girl to sit up straighter, her face now resembling a tomato.

However, whether it was the only reason or not, Sakurako had answered the question, and she leant forward to spin the bottle.

This time, it landed on Akari, who chose truth. Sakurako sat there for a long minute, stumped about what she could ask the "remarkably unremarkable" redhead that would be even somewhat interesting. "Um…have you…ever had any pets?"

Akari cried out in futile protest, but settled back down with a tear clinging to her left eye. "A cat, once," she answered. "And isn't there anything more interesting you could have asked me?" She looked pleadingly at Sakurako, who just shrugged abashedly. Resigning herself to her presence and/or lack of such, she spun the bottle, this time landing on Himawari.

"Truth or dare?" she asked, brightening slightly now that the focus wasn't on her anymore.

Himawari considered her options for a moment, but then decided not to worry—it was only Akari, after all. The girl probably didn't have an evil bone in her body. "Truth," she replied, simply because she didn't really feel like moving around too much. She tried not to dwell on the fact that the reason for that was currently resting her head in the nook between the bluenette's shoulder and neck, breathing warm air onto her sensitive skin.

Akari thought for a second. "Ah!" she stated, sitting up straighter. All eyes turned to the girl, because for once, it seemed as though she might say something out of the ordinary. "Why did you get so mad when Sakurako ate the last bite of Sugiura-senpai's pudding?"

Himawari swore her heart skipped a beat. Beside her, Sakurako sat up slightly, either wanting to hear the answer, or curious as to why her frienemy (whom she'd forgotten to hate out of fatigue) had suddenly become so tense.

"I…" Himawari floundered for a moment, recalling the memory as if it were a play-by-play rewind. Finally, she huffed, replying, "Because she was being an idiot—not like that's anything new." She blushed so deeply that it was a wonder she didn't get lightheaded from the huge shift of blood to her face, and folded her arms over her chest, avoiding Sakurako's wide eyes. It was an awkward moment, as everyone in the room could sense there was more to the story, but Himawari was confident in the belief that Sakurako would inevitably (and loudly) start a fight.

Unfortunately for the bluenette, this seemed to be the one exception, as Sakurako remained silent, eyes as blank and confused as they had been during the play.

It was Chinatsu who broke the silence.

"I thought you were just jealous that she got an indirect kiss from Kyouko-senpai," the pinkette stated offhandedly, blunt as ever. "You two should seriously just kiss already—I don't want to get caught in the middle of one of your lovers' spats again."

Himawari, who was only just recovering from her narrow dodge, flushed brightly once again, and the two girls reflexively jumped out of their rather intimate position. Sakurako, however, seemed to have regained her ability to speak.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she retorted, her tone more hostile than usual (or at least, when she was addressing anyone but Himawari). She hadn't held a grudge against Chinatsu after the scarf incident, but when the girl directly involved herself, Sakurako found herself growing extremely irritable. Seeming to recognize her mistake, the brunette huffed. "Like I'd ever be lovers with _her_, anyway."

Himawari made a strangled sound of indignation. "As if _I _would ever want to be involved with _you_," she snapped hotly, allowing the anger that had been simmering inside of her since a few hours earlier boil over in order to conceal her hurt. "It's bad enough just having you around all the time!"

"Please stop fighting!" Akari, who had remained silent up until this point, had finally spoken up, though her desperate plea fell on deaf ears.

"You think I like being around _you_?" Sakurako huffed, folding her arms over her chest.

The bluenette raised one eyebrow, finally seeing a way to trap her rival. "If you hate being around me so much, I'll just spend my time with Yoshikawa-san from now on," she replied, mimicking Sakurako's posture.

The small brunette became visibly upset, her cheeks turning an angry red and her lips morphing into the same subtle pout she'd worn on the day day that she had thrown a tantrum in the classroom. "Like I care!" she yelled, her volume, as usual, knowing no limits. "I prefer Toshino-senpai to you anyway!"

_That _hit Himawari right in the gut, particularly after today's performance. She felt sick, because it hurt on more levels than one, and it was as if her emotions were battling for dominance inside of her, pushing and shoving at each other until she felt as though she was being ripped apart. There was the initial hurt, of course, that came from her childhood best friend (though she'd never admit it) choosing someone else over her. But beyond that lay a sickly, swirling whirlpool that tugged viciously at her gut, kneading it until it was fit to burst. Only she didn't feel the need to cry—that was the hurt. Instead, she felt the nauseating pull that was jealousy at its finest—that is to say, when one doesn't have the right to act upon it.

She wondered if this had been what Sakurako felt on Valentine's Day. But then again, Sakurako was always getting worked up over insignificant little things. It took quite a bit more prodding to elicit as much of a reaction from Himawari, but when that reaction was triggered, the effects usually lasted far longer than Sakurako's fleeting upset.

"Come on, guys, stop fighting." It was Yui who spoke this time, and Akari nodded her head in agreement. While watching the two tsunderes deny their feelings for each other so adamantly was always entertaining, tonight Sakurako had been a bit too careless, and Himawari had taken things a bit too seriously.

"Please work this out, guys," Akari added, eyes pleading with the two upset girls, who made no move to resolve the conflict, despite the pleas.

Finally, Kyouko took it upon herself to force communication.

"The UST in here is stifling," she declared. The rest of the group looked on, confused by her word choice, but only for a moment, because the next, she had leaned across their circle, (that really looked more like a confused trapezoid) trapping Sakurako between her arms, and planted a kiss directly onto the stupefied brunette's lips.

* * *

**A/N: Guys, I'm sorry if this chapter isn't up to par. I hate making excuses and when other people do, so I won't use this as one, but I would like to point out why this chapter might be a bit rough. For the past month or so, my mom and I have been working to treat my sister's cat (because she's always scared him) for kidney failure…just this past week, we decided to have him put to sleep because of how miserable he seemed, which is a big reason why I haven't updated sooner (along with college-level classwork, of course). We just had to have him put to sleep this morning, and I carried him into the vet's in a blanket, because, again, my sister makes him nervous, since she's more high strung. Anyway, what ended up happening is that he just looked so terrified on the table when they were about to give him the drug, and my sister refused to hold him, saying she'd make it worse, so I ended up holding him through it. He calmed down instantly, but…he died in my arms. One minute I was kissing his head and he looked so calm and the next…the light was just gone from his eyes. I haven't been able to do much today at all, but I did log on to finish some homework (as luck would have it, I have a ginormous project due Monday) so I figured I should update. Anyway, I just wanted to apologize if this chapter turned out rough, I did try to edit it, but I'm not really with it at all right now, so I apologize.**


	4. Scene Three

**Lights**

**Scene Three: Let's do Math! Party Games are to Jealousy as Flyswatters are to (?)**

* * *

"Get off of her, idiot!"

Yui smacked Kyouko upside the head, and the girl toppled away from the petrified brunette, wearing a dazed expression, as if she wasn't sure what she'd done wrong. Groaning, the raven-haired girl yanked the girl back into her original position beside her by the collar of her shirt. Yui was not amused (nor surprised, unfortunately) by the uncommon (even for Kyouko) level of stupidity that her best friend had displayed in her assault on Sakurako.

Across the 'circle', poor Ayano was wearing an expression of absolute despair, having endured higher levels of anxiety in one day that the average person would in an entire lifetime (a long one, at that, not that eighty-year lifespan that hardly ever applied). She appeared to be paralyzed from the shock and heartbreak, not even twitching as Chitose sympathetically rubbed her back.

Just off to the left of Ayano, Himawari was fuming, her face a deep crimson, though for an entirely different reason than it had been just moments before. Her jaw was tight, her lips set into a thin line, and she was just barely breathing through the effort of keeping herself from crying at the same time as keeping her temper under control. Her heart felt like it would explode from the pure, liquid possessiveness that was boiling within it, and this time, there was no outlet. It had been much easier to control during the play, because it had, once again, been Sakurako who had done something stupid, and it was nothing out of the ordinary for her to snap at her counterpart, even if Sakurako had been clueless.

But now there was no outlet, and nowhere to hide from her feelings. The two impulses were warring inside of her, and she knew that she couldn't keep them both under control. But at the same time, she had to. She couldn't start crying, even though she knew she'd feel _so _much better, because that would make absolutely no sense, but she couldn't very well snap at a senpai for kissing a girl she "hated", particularly Kyouko, who she actually had a fairly good relationship with. She needed a distraction.

And, as fate would have it, she received one.

Luckily, there were enough uncalled for reactions to Kyouko's stupidity so that Himawari's was generally overlooked—even luckier, Sakurako seemed too out of it to notice anything, though Himawari had mixed feelings about that due to the cause of her dazedness.

Finally, Chitose took it upon herself to break the awkward silence (and rescue her near-comatose friend). "Who's turn is it now, Toshino-san?" she asked, in her usual polite manner.

Kyouko blinked. "I don't remember."

Yui sighed. "Just spin the bottle, Kyouko," she sighed, though she had the feeling that she'd regret allowing the blonde to pick up where she'd left off.

Kyouko's face lit up, her lips curling into a lecherous grin as she spun the bottle, clearly hoping for it to land on a terrified-looking Chinatsu.

Unfortunately for her, it landed quite a ways away from its target, the neck pointing directly at a sulking bluenette. Kyouko looked disappointed for a moment, only to brighten instantaneously as she seemed to remember something. Chinatsu eyed the girl wearily—she didn't know why, but she had the most awful feeling that Kyouko was still going to involve her in some convoluted plot twist. She sighed inwardly. She was never safe, really.

And she wasn't disappointed, either.

"Hmmm…" Kyouko pretended to think, until Yui dealt her another blow to the side of her head. The blonde wobbled up from the floor, sporting a dazed grin and a painful-looking lump. "Okay, okay, Yui," she relented, leaning back against the wall, legs spread out in a way that left little to the imagination. Poor, remarkably unremarkable Akari was floundering about with her omnipresent box of tissues, not sure whether to offer them to Chitose, who looked as though she'd been admitted to Yuri heaven, or Ayano, whose nose, to her complete embarrassment, had started to drip just a tiny bit of blood.

"Like what you see, Ayano-chan?" Kyouko asked, assuming a face reminiscent of a train-station pervert.

"Ye—I mean, OF COURSE NOT! SIT PROPERLY, TOSHINO KYOUKO!" the flustered vice president stuttered, face turning an unhealthy shade of fushia. Chitose giggled from beside her and patted the purple-haired tsundere on the leg as Kyouko cocked her head, somehow completely oblivious.

"Just get on with the game," Yui muttered. Though there wasn't anyone else in her apartment, somehow she was still embarrassed to be around all these crazy, hormonal girls she somehow called her friends.

"Oh, right!" Kyouko shot back up into a sitting position, immediately focused entirely on the game, causing Yui to sweatdrop. "Truth or dare, Himawari?"

The girl in question balked at the informal use of her name, but only for a moment before she regained her composure. Kyouko was the last person she wanted to talk to at this particular moment, and, to her utter mortification, the bluenette found herself shifting just slightly closer to Sakurako, placing her right hand just behind the brunette's left so that she was almost touching the girl's lower back. The neanderthalic notion of possessiveness was completely foreign to Himawari, and it made her want to cringe in disgust of her own behavior, but somehow, she wasn't even in control of her own body.

"Dare."

Or, apparently, her mouth.

Kyouko assumed an expression similar to a fox who'd cornered its prey. "I dare you to…" Her blue eyes flickered teasingly around the room, before landing predictably on Chinatsu, who merely groaned, folding her arms over her chest. At least she wouldn't have to do anything with Kyouko. "Hold Chinatsu on your lap for the rest of the game."

The pinkette shot Kyouko a look that practically snarled "_really_?". The blonde just grinned, apparently very proud of herself. Himawari flushed slightly, but she'd honestly been expecting a lot worse, so she straightened slightly as the pinkette flounced over and planted herself on the taller girl's lap, all the while staring at Kyouko with a bland expression.

Beside them, Sakurako huffed.

Yui shot Kyouko a disparaging look. "Really?" she asked, voicing Chinatsu's unspoken question.

Kyouko shrugged. "Back when we set the dates for Christmas last year, I remember her saying she wanted to be partnered with Chinatsu-chan," she stated, looking over at Yui with confused eyes. For her part, Yui was surprised at how reasonable Kyouko's dare had actually been. Still, when she hazarded a glance in the direction of the duo, she couldn't help but think Kyouko had an ulterior motive for bringing Chinatsu into the equation—and not just to pleasure herself, for once.

"I knew she'd drag me into her stupid dare somehow," Chinatsu muttered from Himawari's lap, and the bluenette took pity on the smaller girl, who really wasn't overreacting at all, given the way Kyouko was always grabbing at her. "At least I didn't end up on _her _lap."

Sakurako gave a noticeably louder huff, her arms folded over her chest, eyes dark and narrowed in the way they had been back on Valentine's day. Himawari turned to check on the visibly annoyed brunette, but Sakurako refused to meet her gaze. The bluenette frowned slightly before leaning back against the sofa and wrapping her arms loosely around Chinatsu's waist in an effort to get comfortable. The smaller girl didn't seem to mind, and actually turned so that her head was lodged between Himawari's shoulder blade and her neck, pulling her knees up, apparently aiming to get comfortable herself. It made sense, considering they'd be here for a while, if Kyouko had any say in it.

Sakurako, who had been watching the exchange out of the corner of her eye, swallowed hard, her cheeks puffing out slightly in a childish pout. She wanted to tear the two apart—_she _was the one who should be on Himawari's lap, not Chinatsu. It made sense—it wasn't as if Himawari even knew Chinatsu before this year, and Sakurako had been her best…frienemy all their lives. The urge to stake her claim was even stronger than it had been on Valentine's day, and this time in a more…physical manner. Like in a _shove that pink-haired bitch off of _her _Himawari's lap and take her place _manner.

Sakurako shook her head, hard. What did _she _care if Chinatsu sat on Himawari's lap, even if it made more sense for Sakurako to? Even sitting beside the bluenette set Sakurako in a bad mood—really, she felt sorry for Chinatsu, having to have those monster breasts pressed into her face.

Firmly reassured by her (rather weak) arguments, Sakurako sat up straighter, before leaping to her feet and swiftly stalking over to sit next to Akari instead, because really, watching those two cuddling was nauseating. She did all this with a serious, straight face, because really, she was just annoyed by PDA, and what was wrong with that?

Unfortunately, her silent, less-than-dramatic departure had actually peaked Himawari's curiosity, who knew the brunette better than anyone. Normal for the rest of the world was extremely unusual for Sakurako, who was almost always bouncing off the walls and spouting off about some random thing or another. Himawari had only seen this side of Sakurako a few times before, the most recent being those short moments before the brunette had thrown that tantrum in the middle of homeroom about Himawari spending more time with Chinatsu than her. Akari, for one, was just happy someone had noticed her.

Yui, who'd been observing the various scenes taking place before her, (which looked like they'd been plagiarized directly from an episode of Degrassi) finally decided to take charge.

"That's enough truth or dare," she stated, fist already formed in case Kyouko decided to object. The blonde had noticed, and had made her first intelligent decision of the night, and kept her mouth shut.

"I agree, Funami-san," Chitose replied in her usual dreamy voice, still lightly stroking a positively haggard-looking Ayano. "Perhaps we should watch a movie instead?"

"_SAW!"_

"That's a good idea," Yui agreed as Kyouko twitched on the ground beside her, sporting yet another massive lump on the back of her head. "What do you guys want to watch?"

* * *

Kyouko was stretched across the sofa, pouting profusely, only stopping to yelp when Chinatsu "accidentally" stepped on her on her way to claim her seat beside Yui.

"I wanted to cuddle with Chinatsu-chan~" the blonde whined. Yui rolled her eyes. She'd seen the wheels in the pinkette's mind turning when the snake had fallen from the door the morning of the play. She doubted the younger girl would be the terrified cuddler that Kyouko was hoping for. If anything, the movie would probably expand her…unique affinity for drawing.

Sakurako had stubbornly taken a seat at the very end of the sofa, in spite of Kyouko's legs, which she had to deal with resting on her lap. She was still pouting profusely, even now that Himawari and Chinatsu had parted without incident, and, for all the world to see, no newly discovered feelings for each other.

As for the bluenette, she stood in the doorway of the room beside a rather forlorn Ayano. Their eyes were resting in the same general direction, but for entirely different reasons.

Himawari knew that Sakurako was still upset over the dare, and to be honest, she found it kind of adorable…not that she'd ever admit it to the brunette. Unfortunately, what kept her from joining Sakurako on the couch was the lingering, overwhelming urge to have some kind of contact with the girl—stake some kind of claim on her "rival". Also, in a more physical sense, Kyouko's legs.

In the end, the last bit was what prompted her to move from the doorway and solve both her and Ayano's problems. She walked gracefully over to the couch, as if nothing were the matter, and, trying her best to hold back her blush, shoved (or pushed, maybe, because she was still attempting to be polite and not entirely neanderthalic) Kyouko's feet away entirely, making them land unceremoniously on the ground. Kyouko groaned slightly, but made no move to regain her position, and Himawari took the opportunity to sit next to her sulking friend, maybe just a tiny bit closer than was necessary. Beside her, a blushing Ayano was huffing at Kyouko to be more considerate and leave room for others, which caused the blonde to sit up and pull the tsundere down with her, completely oblivious to Ayano's embarrassment.

"Why are _you _here?" Sakurako asked bitterly, and Himawari might have taken offence, were the brunette not still pouting. "Shouldn't you be over there with Chinatsu-san?"

Noting the cold, formal addressing of the pinkette, Himawari couldn't help but giggle just a little bit, causing Sakurako to glare up at her. "Are you jealous?" the bluenette asked, recalling the smaller girl's slightly adorable reaction last time she'd asked the same question. This time, Sakurako did huff, but didn't say anything in response immediately, and when she finally did, it turned the tables on Himawari entirely.

"Are you?" she replied in her usual petulant style. "Is that why you got so mad during the play and wouldn't tell me why?"

Himawari floundered for several seconds, her face flushing an increasingly darker shade of red. "I—of course not!" she finally replied, turning away from the brunette, folding her arms protectively over her chest. "It was because you were being an idiot and upset Sugiura-senpai."

Sakurako didn't reply after that, instead casting her gaze toward the screen as the movie began to play. Chinatsu had ended up choosing, easily beating out Kyouko, and had selected Shrek the Third, an American animated movie that was apparently hilarious. Himawari gazed at the brunette for several long seconds before sighing and allowing herself to settle back into the comfortable sofa, for once wishing that she didn't have to be quite so stubborn regarding Sakurako.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so…this isn't related or anything, but…yeah. I was just sitting there, bored, looking up stuff online on my phone, and I remembered hearing Taylor Swift on the radio and hearing her say 'she's the best thing that's ever been mine'. And naturally, I was like, "what?" so I looked that up, and I realized it wasn't, you know, lesbian or anything…but I also found a lot more. Like how she crashed a Kennedy wedding, and completely brushed off the mother of the bride. And then I just started thinking back to all her songs (I used to be a huge fan, and I still like some of the songs…if I don't think about how she meant them) and I was just like…wow, she's kind of a bitch. And this was like, a HUGE revelation for me—I was honestly shocked. But guys…she kind of is. I honestly believe that she used to be the naïve small town girl that everyone sees her as…but she sure as hell isn't that same girl anymore. Boys treat girls badly sometimes and sure, write a song about it, I've been there. I've been a **_**bitch **_**to my exes, too. I've done things I'm **_**not **_**fucking proud of, things that still haunt me with guilt (that is probably irrational, given my anxiety levels). I was (and technically still am, but not at heart, not really) a teenage girl, too. But she **_**isn't**_** a teenage girl anymore. And she isn't naïve. She knows what she's doing, and she can be just as heartless as her infamous exes. **

**This is just my opinion, anyway, don't take it to heart, please. I just wanted to share it with someone because…it literally shocked me, it really did. **

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please review! :)**


End file.
